Zydrunas Ilgauskas wrote a letter

Zydrunas Ilgauskas wrote a letter to Cleveland fans, which was published in the Cleveland Plain-Dealer on Sunday. (Here’s a link to the letter for those of you who haven’t seen it.)

It’s exactly the kind of thing Z would do. It’s classy, it’s understated, it’s honest, it’s from the heart, and it was written directly for Cleveland fans. Again, exactly what you’d expect from Big Z. If there was any doubt that Ilgauskas’ number will someday be retired before, there shouldn’t be now.

This leads me to an idea I’ve had for a while, and one I thought about writing about it in response to Cam’s post on Friday — the letter just makes the idea a little bit more obvious.

Nobody is quite sure what’s going to happen when LeBron comes back to Cleveland. Cities have hated athletes before, but it’s usually there are some understood ground rules, an acknowledgement that this is all kind of a dress-up game. However vehemently Ohio State fans have booed great Michigan players, or Red Sox fans have booed great Yankee players, or whatever, there’s always been a tacit understanding that they were really just saying “You’re a very talented player who may or may not have some personal flaws, and you’re wearing the wrong laundry.”

Most fans would never admit it, but booing a player is often a sign of respect. That doesn’t appear to be the case with Cavs fans and LeBron James. It’s one thing to boo a player for his on-court performance or off-court shenanigans — this is about hating LeBron James based on a major choice he made and the way he chose to act while doing it. Driving 98 yards in 5 minutes was John Elway’s job. “The Decision” was LeBron’s choice.

That’s a much different kind of hate — honestly, the best comparable I can think of to this is when Carlos Boozer returned to Cleveland, and that blow was softened by the Cavs’ rise and Boozer’s up-and-down stint with the Jazz. Football and baseball teams have had players leave under dubious circumstances before, but those fans are a lot further away from the players than basketball fans are.

One could also consider what happens to top college athletes that string along one school and commit to another at the 11th hour — remember when Eric Gordon decided to attend Indiana?

In any case, I’m not really looking forward to LeBron’s return to the Q. Sports are a lot of good things, but they can also be an excuse for fans to indulge their instincts to join a tribe and act like animals towards anybody outside of their chosen tribe. I fear that’s what may happen when LeBron returns to Cleveland.

It’s fine to boo LeBron James. It’s fine to hate LeBron James. What I’m concerned about is Cleveland becoming a franchise that defines itself by its hatred of LeBron James. It’s something I’ve seen other fanbases do to varying extents in the past, and it was never pleasant to look at. The fact that LeBron acted foolishly in the weeks and days leading to his decision to play for a different team didn’t change my mind about that.

So here we are. Cleveland fans (and the owner of the Cavaliers) clearly feel that they were wronged by LeBron James in a major way, and most feel a very deep antipathy for him now. Fighting against this current with a “Thanks for the seven years of service and all you did for the franchise, LeBron” night upon his return would be foolish.

On the other hand, “Screw You, LeBron night” (orchestrated chants, video segments to incite the crowd, 2-3 play stoppages because somebody threw something at LeBron, et cetera) also wouldn’t be my cup of tea. I completely understand why such a thing would happen, and acknowledge that it likely will. That said, this is a beautiful game played by a lot of good people, and losing sight of that makes for bad sports fandom. Also, going overboard with that stuff could lose Cleveland fans a lot of the good will they’ve gained since the LeBacle.

So what should be done when LeBron returns? This is just one man’s opinion, but I think they should make the first Heat-Cavaliers game at the Q next season “Zydrunas Ilgauskas Night.” Give out Z bobbleheads or facemasks at the door. Have halftime be a “Thank You, Z” show, with a montage for him, a speaker or two, and an opportunity for Z to speak. There should be one heck of an ovation.

Don’t go overboard with it and make the “screw you, LeBron” theme overt — everything said and done for Z should be about Z, and done because he deserves it. (Because the “screw you, LeBron” theme will be implicit, the Cavs should NOT retire Z’s number until his Heat days are forgotten and LeBron isn’t on everyone’s minds the way he will be for the next 2-3 years. Z deserves for that night to be all about him.)

LeBron James has been given a lot of things in his life. He’s won a lot of things, and he’ll win a lot more things in the years to come.

However, there are somethings that can’t be given. There are even some things that can’t be won. Some things must be earned, and the appreciation Cleveland has for Zydrunas Ilgauskas is one of those things. When LeBron comes back, it may be prudent to give him a glance of one thing he’ll never get.

52 Responses to “Zydrunas Ilgauskas wrote a letter”

I think that the best thing to do is to boycott the Heat game. I still think we should buy tickets (support our franchise), but just leave the stands empty as a statement about what the Lebron James cabal has done to not only Cleveland, but basketball fans in general.

You understand that Lebron couldn’t write such a letter to the fans really after the nights events that followed the “The Decision.” You all knew it was a possibility that he was leaving. The fact that he didn’t sign the extension should have told you that it was highly likely. While the tv show may have seemed like a horrible idea from the standpoint of Cleveland resident/fan. If he had just announced by twitter like Kevin Durant did. You would still have lost your franchise player and NOTHING good would have come from it. No money for the Boys & Girls Club and no 10 full scholarships for those kids that will receive them.

Immediately afterward to be burning his jersey in the streets and having the owner freak out and write what he did put up a barrier between the city and Lebron. Excerpt of the transcript almost immediately followed by burning jerseys and The Letter.

——–
How do you explain this to the people in Cleveland?

I mean, it’s heartfelt for me. You know, it’s hard to explain, but at the same time my heart, in the seven years I gave to that franchise, to that city, it was everything.

I mean, those 20,000 plus fans that came out every night we played, and they seen me grow from an 18 year old kid to a 25 year old man. And I never wanted to leave Cleveland. And my heart will always be around that area. But I also felt like this is the greatest challenge for me is to move on.

What was the major reason for leaving the Cavaliers?

I don’t even see it it’s not like leaving Cleveland is the whole logistic of it; it’s about joining forces with the other two guys that I feel like I respect their game the most. And I feel like we have a great chance of winning and winning for multiple years.

Like I said before, this is a very emotional time for me. I know it’s emotional for the fans and also for the area. And if it was a perfect world, I would have loved to stay, because I’ve done so many great things for that team, they’ve done so many great things for me. But I feel like it’s time to change.

——–

He’s talking about his heart and loving the fans and how much the organization has done for him and then everybody is up in arms anyway. I can’t give a super big thank you cause you have already made your decision about me without taking any time to try and understand. Once there was a tv show I knew for sure he wasn’t staying. It’s bad television to make an hour show to stay. Once he didn’t sign the extension that means the most likely outcome is to leave (wait to see what Melo does… still no signature on that contract).

So while you all may have hated his choice. You all set up the barrier. It’s hard to attract talent in that situation. It’s hard to attract talent with an organization that will turn on you like that. The Knicks have New York as their backdrop and they are still having to overpay for talent in order to get them in the building because of a bad organization. After Joakim Noah’s statements during the playoffs it was going to be a hard sell cause he said what a lot of other players think when they come in for a game. Now you don’t even have an organization and fan base to use as a draw. You shot yourselves in the foot and who knows how long or if that can be healed for future talent no less current talent.

Eh. My problem with Z appreciation night, is that I doubt Z would want to distract from the game, and add to the circus. Z appreciation night should have come last year when Mike Brown didn’t play him in the game in which Z would have broken the all time games played record for a Cav. Save Z’s appreciations for when he retires. Never celebrate a player on another team. Yes we can cheer for him loudly and vociferously, but what if Z torches us for 20, and we lose? Don’t we look like schmucks then?

Dan Gilbert painted Cleveland into a haterville corner and I’m all for it. It’s an identity I’d love to embrace. This means you don’t serve up anything nice for anyone on the other team. You can treat Z with respect, but don’t elevate him. Until he retires as a Cav, he’s just another player. What we really ought to do is when LeBron is introduced, everyone in the stadium should turn their back on him and not say a word. That would be… disconcerting.

My favorite thing about the trolls is the grammar portion. Periods are scattered throughout that wall of text that have no business being where they are. Made it nearly impossible to read.

Let me make this clear for all the “blame CLE” trolls. Now, this is just for me and maybe every other CLE fan feels something totally different. I don’t know. I DONT CARE. I do not care if LBJ left because I’m mean. I do not care if the rest of the fans around the country look down on CLE because of how we acted. I do not care about burning LBJs jersey. I do not care about people booing him to death when he returns and hating him forever. I’m a fan just like you. I’ll choose to express my fandom how I see fit. That means I’ll choose to hate LBJ for screwing over the fanbase, and if that costs us players (and as Krolik put it “good will”) so be it. I simply don’t care. I’m not gonna put on a front about how I feel about the situation for fear of turning off other players and fans. Don’t care.

I know a lot of other CLE fans don’t feel the same way. It’s just how I feel.

You know what, we as Clevelanders should embrace this moment. Take on the role of being the hated city with the mean and angry fans (btw, go read the piece on WFNY, pretty much sums that up). We should never welcome LBJ back here under any circumstance and be way over the top. We will be hated around the country…take pride in that!!

Basically, do what LBJ is doing. He is openly embracing this public enemy persona and it’s probably the best thing he can do at this point (see his twitter account where he refers to the Heat as “Team John Dillinger.”).

Think that would be the best thing. An entire stadium empty, nothing but crickets and stadium workers. ESPN is no doubt going to want to cover this game, so it’ll screw them over too. How exciting would it be to watch a game that looks like a practice?

Listen, everyone around here is tired of people like you that think they can explain it to Cleveland fans why they are wrong. If you are not a Clevelander or Cavaliers fan, you can’t and will never understand, so please go away. It is easy to comment from the outside about how much of a bigger person you are.

When LeDouche was in Cleveland, the national media and people outside Cleveland spent all of their time tearing him down and ragged on us for defending him. Now you and the national media are defending him since he has left Cleveland. I don’t see how you talk like you are so enlightened.

It is funny how everyone keeps saying how tired they are of hearing about LeDouche and telling Cleveland fans to “MOVE ON.” Well guess what, if you would stop hanging out on Cleveland blogs, you wouldn’t have to hear it anymore, so “MOVE ON.”

Rage and hate can stew very nicely in a place still waiting and waiting. For me the pain of his departure is exacerbated by the fact that it’s been so long. He brought us to a point where it felt somewhat reasonable to hope for a championship, and left us farther than we ever thought we could be.

It’s frustrating because it’s extra frustrating. Because should we ever believe it will actually happen? What is the point?

Bron shoved futility down our throats. He made us painfully aware that no matter how bad something seems, it becomes unimaginably worse in Cleveland.

He didn’t just leave. He took a torch to everything and left us smoldering. This, after 7 years of spewing “loyalty” and “home” at every opportunity. It’s disgusting and gives ample grounds to argue against the state of professional sports.

The game might be beautiful but the people playing it can be absolutely dreadful.

Except people like Z.

But personally I don’t understand glorifying a player on another team at a contest against said team. It’s not in the spirit of competition. A nicely worded letter from Gilbert would suffice plenty (along w/ retiring his number in a few years time).

The only way to welcome Lebron back, for me, is to reflect the vitriol and frustration Cleveland feels in regards to sports. Although he grew up and played here for 25 years, he apparently does not understand our plight. What else can we do but continue to try to educate him?

I’d really just love to see him cry. To be legitimately humbled by his ex-apologists. To feel regret.

Dreams people. Things that will never be. Like a Cleveland NBA Championship in our lifetimes.

It’s easy to take the moral high road when looking at a situation from the outside, especially when it has absolutely no bearing on your life. Your girlfriend left you after you invested your hopes and dreams into her for 7 years, and defended her every indiscretion with blind loyalty? So what? GET OVER IT. It’s that easy.

My father is the typical bitter, perpetually pessimistic Cleveland fan. He always assumes the worst, and actually makes the act of watching sports less fun just by being around. The negativity that he and many others of his generation always exhibit has always bothered me, and I thought something along the lines of “they didn’t grow up in the Lebron era, so they don’t understand “hope”… They just don’t get it.” I loved Lebron because I thought he had the ability and the mindset to prove all the doubters and pessimists wrong. He was going to change their attitude some day, and they would see the light and begin to think the way I do – perpetually optimistic.

But Lebron changed my outlook instead. I was the one who needed to see the light, not the doubters. I think Lebron’s legacy in Cleveland – other than “The Decision” – will be that he kept the mindset of an entire generation of Cleveland sport’s fans exactly where it belongs: perpetually pessimistic.

Take a look at the treatment Vince Carter gets in Toronto. Yeah Vince didn’t exit very nicely, but it’s time to get over it. I hope Cleveland fans get their anger out once or twice and move on. Easier said than done.

I hope they have to stop the game because they fear for his life. I hope 20,000 rush the court and try to rip his jersey off and burn it. I hope its the most disgraceful thing we’ve ever witnessed at a sporting event. And I hope he is truly shaken for life because of it.

In the end, I think we all know deep down that whatever the fans do in reaction, it won’t be as epic as we wish it to be, and it will make Cleveland a temporary embarrassment. I’ll still be smiling, not matter what, because I share the same heart as all of these jaded fans. Go Cleveland!

LeBron wrote a letter thanking the residents of Akron for their support (in the Akron Beacon Journal). What I do not understand is that all of my relatives that live in the Akron area are diehard Cleveland sports fans. Even my grandmother would wear a Sandy Alomar shirt during the summer. So how can people in Akron continue to be a fan of LeBron? All kinds of self-centered, despicable, dishonest people have hometowns. Does that mean they should continue to be embraced and supported and held up by the residents as some great native son or daughter? I do not understand AT ALL!

Actually, to clarify Heather, it doesn’t seem like a letter so much as a PR campaign. From the ESPN article:

The ad, appearing in the Akron Beacon Journal, includes photos of James taking part in community events in Akron, including an annual downtown bike-a-thon he sponsors. That event is scheduled for Saturday, and James plans to appear.

LRMR is going to destroy every last shred of positive public opinion the Congressman has. I mean, seriously, it took him a month to do this (and in the same self-serving way as his charitable donation to a boys and girls club in the RICHEST TOWN IN AMERICA)? They probably didn’t think of it until Z’s letter, and even then, he still says nothing to Cavs fans. It’s probably too late for him to feel any good will toward us now, but he obviously still hasn’t realized that the lack of appreciation and respect is exactly why he’s public enemy number one in Cleveland. What a douche.

I wonder if he really thinks this is going to help something. He played in Cleveland, not Akron. He left the Cleveland Cavs – he still has a home in Akron. Big Z wasn’t from Cleveland either and still made a nice (not necessary) gesture to thank the fans of cleveland for the support over the years. It just seems odd to me that a player would write this kind of letter to city X when they actually played in city Y. He doesn’t ‘owe’ either city anything, but it seems that if you are going to make an effort you would make towards the city you actually played in.

It’s very rare when a player is ‘lucky’ enought to play in the city they grew up in. What most players do is thank the city they played in and the fans of that city. Like Brett Farve thanking the Green Bay Fans when he left. He still goes to his hometown in Mississippi in the off season, but assuming he retires again, I bet he’ll thank the Vikings fans and the city of Minn. Why? Because that’s who he played for, and that has nothing to do with where he grew up. I hope LBJ grows up and get’s a better PR team behind him. He’s still young and trying to develop his ‘brand’ so I understand mistakes, but just like “The Lecision” seems that the advice is just so bad that he needs to change.

He never cared about Cleveland, and he constantly made that clear. We just didn’t want to see it. All that stuff about “loyalty” and “home” was meant for Akron, not Cleveland. Never mind that Akron fans are Cleveland fans… he doesn’t get that. He likes his actual hometown, and the perennial winners from when he was growing up (cowboys, yankees, bulls, etc.). He’s just like every other front-runner out there, he just happened to get drafted by a Cleveland team. He never felt any sense of loyalty to Cleveland.

What he doesn’t understand is that most people are fans of teams, not of individual athletes. Yes, you have a decent amount of people who idolize a man instead of a team (like that toolbag at the Indians game, who said “I will always love Lebron for the rest of my life”), but most of us loved him because he played for a Cleveland sports team, we didnt love the Cavs because Lebron played for them. Much like when Van Helsing refers to Dracula as having a “child-brain”, Lebron just can’t comprehend concepts that don’t hinge on utter adoration and idolization of him as an individual. That’s been bread into him since the first day he picked up a basketball.

I agree with Babo. Some kinda of way we need to take the edge from Lebron. Let face it booing, harassing and chanting won’t do it.

You talk about mindblowing imagine if you will your hyped to just show off in front your greatest foe in front of a howling mob then…SILENCE.

You have to understand he would be psyched to be the center of attention but if no one was there or there was deafining quiet I think he would be un-nerved.
Everybody expects us (Cleveland) to act crazy and ill but I say lets do ‘em a different way.

Lebron, D-Wade and Bosh would be so used to the crowd noise but the prospect of playing in front of empty stands may steal their heart and resolve. Their motivation to play would be gone. Bottomline they have a kid mentality, ‘look at me’.

When LeBron comes to town we should not boo. We should show the same lack of interest by making the arena as quiet as possible when he is introduced or handling the ball. So quiet we can hear the toilets flush.

i think that a boycott is best! it would be amazing to have a nearly empty q to watch his new “dream team.” i’m sure some people would go, but if a high profile game such as that was basically a ghost town, it would be nice! i think gilbert should just buy up the tickets himself and let it ride empty….that would satisfy his ego too!

The most unnerving idea would be the one about everyone just standing up and turning their back on Lebron when he’s introduced and/or has the ball. That, I think, would by far be the most powerful action. Unfortunately, the only thing that a sell-out crowd can actually do in unison is either cheer or boo. Impossible to coordinate something more effective, and if you get half the area coordinated to stay silent, then the hate will seem unenthusiastic when there is only the inevitable smattering of boos. Booing vigorously is what will happen.

I’m in no way a fan of boycotting the game. Too many vendors, restraunts, hotels, gast stations, RTA, shops, Bars, etc. in downtown get a significant boost on game night (no I don’t own/profit from any of the stated enterprises). A boycott only continues to hurt the Cavs and the economy if nobody shows up in the kinds of masses they have for the last several years.

I do like giving LeBron the silent treatment! The idea of him being announced to deafening silence would be great. I think like so many athletes in the past, he would feed off of boos and use that extra energy to his benefit. But if when his name is called and the only thing that happened was 20,000 fans turned their back to him in complete silence, that would be telling.

I really just hope that whatever fans decide to do, that they don’t go overboard and throw things or make any kinds of threats. The game will certainly be nationally televised and I’d like Cleveland and Cavs fans to appear as just great fans who love thier city/team. I don’t want us to look like classless bitter fools bent on revenge.

Just wait cavs fans.Another superstar will eventually come to cleveland.And you can make him the next Jordan.You and the cavs owner can give him everything in the world so that he will make your team and your city better.And then when his contract is up and he leaves for more money,you and the owner can bash him as well.tThere is only one problem,though.Noone of substance is going to come play for a team who has a rotten owner and spoiled self-centered fans.Better hope that the browns and indians can compete for the next 5 years because thats how long it will take to build a contender on the cavs.And the only ones to blame for LeBron leaving is the owner and the so-called cleveland cavs fans.

I live in AZ and am a Suns fan, but I definitely think a statement should be made to Lebron and Gilbert. Get some grassroots organizing going trying to get Gilbert to buy as many tickets as humanly possible to the first game in Miaim, and either pack the place with Gold or leave the seats empty. I also think an empty Quicken loans arena would be a helluva f you to Lebron when he comes back. The cavs should discount all the tickets to that first cavs/heat game to whatever amount it requires to cover operating costs for the night. Clevelanders can buy them up to help support the organization but not attend the game, if no one shows, or even if it is not packed for a TNT game night it would definitely be awesome.

What they need to do is boycott the game in this way: Buy and sell tickets as usual. At a specified time early in the game, have EVERYONE walk out of their seats (either into the arena concessions area or completely outside the building). Gilbert needs to offer some type of promo item (shirt, towel, poster, whatever…) on your way OUT the door (for participating in the walk out). Then they can set up big screen TVs outside or in the concessions areas for those who still want to watch, but the arena seats will be empty for a nationally televised game.

The cavs owner and the indians owner needs togo.One doesnt want to pay the players.And the other one has scared away all of the superstars.Put all of your energy and support around the browns.Because for the next two or three years the cavs and indians will be bottom dwellers.more so the cavs.

Sorry, bryan, but you obviously are not part of the picture here. It’s one thing to offer your opinion from the outside looking in, and another thing entirely to talk like you actually know anything about the situation. It’s the fan’s fault for being upset after he left? Do you understand how logic works? Or, if not, how time works? By your logic, after Lebron left the fans overreacted… so Lebron left… wow how could we not have seen the errors of our ways? If only we hadn’t overreacted when he left, then he probably wouldn’t have left… See how that picture doesn’t add up?

If only we had written more letters, signed more signatures, sang more songs, expressed more utter adoration, ignored more of his indiscretions, defended him more blindly, etc. etc. etc…. he would have stayed. He was the King here for a reason, buddy. We loved him despite his failures and unfulfilled promises. Now he left and it’s our fault because…? Why exactly?

And, fyi, the Cavs couldn’t pull “superstars” long before Gilbert’s letter. Rightly or wrongly, athletes go either (a) to the money, or (b) to the weather. The organization had to consult Lebron on every trade and signing, and he hamstringed them from being able to get top-talent (Ariza is an example) by refusing to commit. He is at least equally at fault for the roster moves, at it was HIS team that he failed to lead through the playoffs. So how are you excusing him, exactly?

Must be the same type of inexplicable logic you use to blame the fans…

I like it. Cleveland fans should buy tickets and show up to support the team. Then after Lebron is introduced , everyone should file out of the building and into the bars and local businesses ( to support Cleveland’s economy) and watch the game from there. To add incentive to act as a community, Gilbert should print shirts that say they

“It takes more courage to reveal insecurities than to hide them, more strength to relate to people than to dominate them, more ‘manhood’ to abide by thought-out principles rather than blind reflex. Toughness is in the soul and spirit, not in muscles and an immature mind.” – Alex Karras

Then we can be done with it. One day of protest to morn our loss, to make up for Lebron’s one day (really one hour) slap in the face. He gave Cleveland a slap in the face with the reality of his departure. We should return the favor with the reality of his status in his home state.

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